Apr 8 Auto show attracts car enthusiasts and families to the DECC

By Jesse Hallbeck
A father and son wonder around an automotive wonderland enjoying a weekend afternoon together. The father admires a restored 1960 era Camaro, while his son is trying to pull him toward the shiny race car. The smell of motor oil and new tires fills the air and the 2010 Peerless World of Wheels auto show must be in town.

O’Reilly Auto parts presented the Peerless World of Wheels auto show which filled the DECC with over 150 cars and trucks for all auto lovers to enjoy. The show gave the Duluth community a chance to spend the day looking at classic cars for about the price of a movie.

Some come to show their cars, some come to buy an automotive masterpiece but still some come to spend time with their families and enjoy a pastime together.

“This is almost too much horsepower to take in at once, but it’s nice to be able to spend time with my kid without watching TV," said longtime auto fan Dan Schmidt. "Plus, I get to check out all of my favorite cars and he can run around getting free stuff.”

Schmidt has been coming to auto shows since he was a kid and has trained his 5-year-old son, Tommy, to get excited around a shiny car.

“I first got into cars when my dad asked me to help change the oil when I was six or seven,” Schmidt said. “He never trusted mechanics so after that we did all the repairs on the old station wagon ourselves.”

Schmidt hopes to teach his son all about cars when he’s old enough to handle a crescent wrench.

The show offered countless auto themed activities, but a surprise to some was the RC car races. Racers who were safely standing off to the side controlled the pint-sized cars. The skill levels varied and amateur racer Coty Sundval took full advantage of races.

“I came all the way from St. Cloud to race. I was wining my qualifier until one of my wheels fell off,” Sundval said. “But I love coming up to Duluth and the faster cars are really impressive.”

In addition to all of the cars wrestling legend James Raschke, ring name Baron “Brainclaw” von Raschke, was at the show to sign autographs. Raschke was popular in the 1970s and 1980s, and he was one of the first wrestling entertainers in the industry. Longtime fan Chad Elertson was one of the first waiting in line for an autograph.

“I saw this guy win the title back in the day, he always got the crowd going with his fake German accent,” Elertson said.

If you’re looking for something to do with the kids on a chilly spring weekend, head on down to the DECC and catch a convention or a great show for an affordable price.

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